Cats have limited food choices…and so do I

Cats have limited food choices. I feel so bad giving her the same 6 types of wet food, trying to make sure I don’t give her the same one 2 nights in a row. Can she tell? Does she mind? I wonder what research says about cats tastes buds.

Here’s some research about my taste buds, as if I were my own species that you need to please…

You could say I’m a picky eater. But I feel that is implying that I, deep down in my soul, feel this way. When really, it’s just my taste buds. I can’t control the way they react! They are quite sensitive. I can’t handle spicy, I can barely handle pepper or onions.

The common consensus among my peers is that I’m not a fan of condiments. “What about ketchup with french fries or gravy with mashed potatoes”?! Hell to the no! Why would you want to cover up the delicious taste of potatoes? People’s responses – “because a potato has such a strong taste”?! YES YES IT DOES AND IT IS DELICIOUS!

(this is the part where you list a bunch of condiments to ask me if I like them, then get surprised when I say no)

I will say that I didn’t grow up with much variety in my meals, but these days I am open to trying things. I actually hope and wish I will find new things that I like because I get sick of my usual meals. Sometimes I crave things that I don’t even like!

This brings me to the task at hand…
I had a bunch of coupons for pasta and pasta sauce, so I need some creative ideas of what to do with it!

(apparently pasta sauce is considered a condiment, I didn’t like it growing up, but now I do…)

Pet peeve: When people describe what they made for dinner and they mention the noodle type in hopes to sound more exotic. Dude, all the noodles taste the same, they’re just a different shape. And those long ones creep me out, they’re like little worms.

The rules: I’d like to keep the suggestions mostly vegetarian so I can feed the boyfriend too. Otherwise, I’ll just keep ruling out your suggestions because of my “picky” taste buds 😉

You are just going to get mad at my recipe because like most cooking blogs I don’t time or measure shit. I am of the ‘throw it in the pan and see what happens’ cooking persuasion. With that in mind this is what I made for myself and Andrew, we dubbed it:

Sauce: Spicy Bell Pepper – but any red sauce would work – use the basil marinara and you can probably skip adding fresh basil.

1. Boil Water 🙂
2. Heat sauce in sauce pan
3. Add some olive oil to a sauté pan
4. Add carrots and garlic and sauté over medium heat
5. This is where you get mad at me cause I don’t time anything….when carrots are mostly cooked (softened but still a little firm), add white wine (or substitute).
6. Allow to cook for a few minutes (again I don’t time shit, sort of until half the liquid has evaporated) then add onions and shallots to the pan. Cook for a bit more and add fresh basil. (I added about 10 leaves shredded).
6. Assuming water is boiling at this point add pasta to water.
7. When pasta is a couple minutes away from being done add fresh spinach to sauté pan.
8. Drain pasta and top with veggie mixture and pour sauce overtop.

Yes, yes, I am definitely one of those who continues to “list” condiments to find out if you like/eat that one 🙂

As for the “all noodles” are the same … while I used to agree with you, I have to admit that I now understand – at least to some elementary degree – the difference among noodles and why you would want to use one “size” over another. For example, if you’re eating a meat sauce, you really do want a short cut pasta – say Penne – with some texture – vs. Ziti, which is smooth. This is b/c you want the meat sauce to “grab onto” the noodle for maximum enjoyment. I won’t bore you with additional examples, trusting that I’ve already earned at least one eye roll, but trust me … as a former “all noodles are the same” believer – there is a difference 🙂